Reese Witherspoon Pens Sweet Tribute to Daughter Ava on 20th Birthday

Another decade for her daughter! Reese Witherspoon celebrated Ava Philippe’s 20th birthday on Monday, September 9, with an adorable Instagram post.

“Watching your little girl grow into a gorgeous, thoughtful, compassionate, fun-loving young woman defies words,” the Big Little Lies alum, 43, captioned a photo of the model wearing a white dress at the beach, as well as a throwback shot. “It has got to be the greatest gift I could ever receive. I love you @avaphilippe to the moon, around the stars and back! Happy 20th!”

The actress added on her Instagram Story: “Happy birthday to my little girl who isn’t so little anymore.”

In July, Philippe posted an equally sweet message for her mom, writing, “This is the gorgeous woman who taught me about the power of graciousness, love, ambition, and hard work. She inspires me everyday to live with gratitude for the life I’ve been given and compassion for others. I’m thinking about her a little extra today, that’s all.”

A month prior to the social media upload, a source told Us Weekly exclusively that the mother-daughter pair are “best friends [and] love being together.”

The insider added, “Reese and Ava talk several times a day and they go to each other for everything. [Ava] has learned so much by being with her mom and traveling the world with her.”

Witherspoon welcomed her eldest in 1999 with her ex-husband, Ryan Philippe. The former couple, who split in 2007, also share Deacon, 15. The Oscar winner gave birth to her and her husband Jim Toth’s first child together, Tenessee, 6, in 2012.

“[She] is a really good mother,” the source went on to tell Us in June. “Reese is honest with her kids and they feel comfortable talking to her about anything. She’s equally involved in all of their lives.”

The Louisiana native and the talent agent, 49, tied the knot in 2011 in Ojai, California.

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